Biojäätmete kompostimine ringmajanduse tingimustes

A Thesis for applying for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture.Väitekiri filosoofiadoktori kraadi taotlemiseks põllumajanduse erialal.Organic wastes can be stabilized by composting and turned into solid organic fertilizers and soil improvers, while closing the cycle of nutrients. Evaluation of total nutrient concentrations, as well as safety and hygiene parameters of composts, are regulated; however, some beneficial properties of compost are not reported. The aim of this PhD thesis was to determine the value of fish by-catch, an underutilized type of biowaste, through proximity composting, and increase our knowledge about the properties and added value of various composts. The distribution of phosphorus forms and concentration and properties of humic substances were determined from the fish waste composts and compared with other common types of compost. This study confirmed that proximity composting of fish waste is technologically feasible and meets hygiene requirements according to regulations (temperature 1 h > 70 °C). Composts made from different input materials varied in relative proportions and concentrations of phosphorus forms. Fish waste compost contained the highest concentration of immediately bioavailable phosphorus (6.90–7.75 g P/kg DW; 57–66% of total phosphorus). All selected composts contained humic substances, including humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA), but their concentrations, properties, and relative proportions depended on compost input materials. The HA/FA ratio, reflecting humification, was highest in horse manure compost (7.88) and lowest in chicken waste compost (1.42). Composts revealed similar peaks of excitation/emission matrices of fluorescence spectra for FA, but varied in their HA spectra. In conclusion, this PhD thesis highlights the potential value of small biowaste streams, which have not been sufficiently considered to date. Such waste can be a valuable source material for high-quality composts that can be used to improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, as well as to increase crop yields.Kompostimine võimaldab biojäätmeid stabiliseerida, muutes need orgaaniliseks väetiseks või mullaparandusaineks. Komposti kvaliteedi määrab väetusainete hulk ning ohutus- ja hügieeniparameetrite vastavus piirväärtustele, kuid tähelepanuta on jäänud fosfori kättesaadavus ja humiinainete sisaldus, mis annab olulist informatsiooni komposti lisaväärtuse ja kasutamise kohta. Uurimistöö eesmärk oli anda suuniseid seni vähe kasutust leidnud kala kaaspüügi väärindamiseks kompostimise teel jäätmete tekkekohal. Lisaks sooviti võrrelda erinevatest lähtematerjalidest valmistatud komposte fosforivormide ja humiinainete sisalduse alusel. Kompostimisel saavutati loomsete kõrvalsaaduste hügieniseerimiseks vajalik temperatuur (1 tund > 70 °C). Eri koostisega kompostides varieerub nii fosfori sisaldus kui fosfori vormide suhteline jaotus, mis mõjutab selle kättesaadavust taimedele. Kalakompostid sisaldasid enim taimedele kergesti kättesaadavat fosforit (6,90–7,75 g P/kg KA, suhteline osakaal üldfosforist 57–66%). Kõik kompostid sisaldasid humiinaineid, sh humiinhappeid (HA) ja fulvohappeid (FA), kuid nende kontsentratsioon, omadused ja suhteline jaotus sõltusid kompostitavast materjalist. Suurim HA/FA suhe, mis kirjeldab kompostitava materjali humifitseerumisastet, oli hobusesõnniku kompostis (7,88), madalaim kanajäätmete kompostis (1,42). Fluorestsentsi ergastus-emissioonispektrid (EEM) viitasid sarnasusele erinevate kompostide fulvohapetes, suuremad erinevused olid humiinhapete jälgedes. Doktoritöös toodi kalajäätmete näitel välja seni alakasutatud väikeste jäätmevoogude potentsiaal bioringmajanduses. Sellised jäätmed saab tekkekohas hõlpsasti muuta kõrge kvaliteediga kompostiks, mida saab kasutada mulla füüsikaliste ja keemiliste omaduste parandamiseks ning taimede saagikuse suurendamiseks. Täiendavate kvaliteediparameetrite esitamine võimaldaks paremini hinnata ja esile tuua komposti kasulikku mõju ja eesmärgikohast rakendamist

Uudsete antibakteriaalsete haavakatete valmistamine kasutades elektrospinnimise tehnoloogiat

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneTõusvate kulude ning aina keerulisemate ravijuhtude tõttu on halvasti paranevad kroonilised haavandid muutunud kaasaegses ühiskonnas väga suureks probleemiks. Haavadega kaasneb alati infektsioonioht, seetõttu näeb kaasaegne haavaravi ette, et taastatakse haava homeöstaas ning hoitakse kontrolli all bakterite arvukus. Kõige probleemsemaks osutuvad kaasuvate haigustega patsientidid (näiteks diabeedihaiged), kelle häirunud immuunvastus võib takistada ravi efektiivsust ning pikendada ravi kestvust. Infektsioosse haavandi raviskeemis on antibiootikumide manustamine väga olulisel kohal. Lokaalne antibakteriaalne haavaravi (kasutades enamlevinud traditsioonilisi ravimvorme) on väga levinud, kuid selle efektiivsus on siiani küsitav ravimi lühikese toimeaja ja pideva manustamise tõttu. Seetõttu on kaasaegne ravimvormide teadustöö keskendunud just kohaspetsiifiliste lokaalsete antibakteriaalsete ravimkandursüsteemide väljatöötamisele, mis omaksid veel täiendavat funktsionaalsust (haava paranemise toetamine). Elektrospinnimine (ES) on lihtne ja laialtlevinud meetod polümeersete fiibermaatriksite tootmiseks, millele iseloomulikeks omadusteks on: kontrollitav morfoloogia, suur eripind ning poorsus. Lisaks on maatriksitesse võimalik lihtsa vaevaga inkorporeerida erinevaid raviaineid, mis võimaldab neid kasutada ravimkandursüsteemidena. ES fiibermaatriksid sobivad ideaalselt haavakateteks: omades nahale omase rakuvälise maatriksiga sarnast struktuuri, mis annab neile hea haavaeksüdaadi absorbeerimise võime ning tagab gaasi – ja ainevahetuse haavas. Maatriksite mehaanilised omadused on muudetavad vastavalt vajadusele – lihtsustamaks kasutust ning tagamaks soodsat keskkonda rakkudele, mis vastutavad haavade paranemise eest. Antibakteriaalsete haavakatete väljatöötamisel on oluline uurida nende mõju bakterirakkudele. Haavakate peaks inhibeerima bakterite arvukuse tõusu haavas ning kaitsma haava kontaminatsiooni eest. Käesolevas töös valmistati ES teel antibakteriaalsete omadustega fiibermaatrikseid, mida saaks kasutada lokaalseks haavaraviks. Leiti, et poorseid fiibreid sisaldavate maatriksite valmistamiseks oli oluline sobivate lahustite ning keskkonnaparameetrite valik. Maisivalgul baseeruvate fiibermaatriksite valmistamiseks osutus sobivaimaks koaksiaalse ES ning abiainete kasutamine. Kasutatud lahustid ja abiained mõjutasid fiibermaatriksite morfoloogiat, struktuuri, mehhaanilisi omadusi ning raviaine vabanemise kiirust. Maatriksite ehitus mõjutas oluliselt elusrakkude (bakteri- ning eükarüootsete rakkude) käitumist maatriksitel. Leiti, et poorseid fiibreid sisaldav maatriks soodustas fibroblastide kinnitumist ning kasvu, ja omas ka kõige suuremat E. coli biokile vastast toimet. Maisivalgul baseeruvatel fiibermaatriksitel oli fibroblastide kasv ning kinnitumine väiksem võrreldes polükaprolaktooni sisaldava fiibermaatriksiga.Wound treatment is a worldwide problem with annually increasing costs and insufficient treatment options. There is always contamination related to wounds which increases the risk for the development of infection. Therefore the main treatment strategy has been to restore the homeostasis at the wound site as well as control the bacterial load. The problem arises when the patient's medical condition (for example diabetes) inhibits the native immune response causing failed and long-lasting treatment. The administration of antibacterial drugs is a vital part of chronic wound and infection treatment strategy. Topical treatment with antibiotics (conventional drug formulations such as gels, creams) is frequently used but its efficiency is still uncertain. Therefore novel drug delivery research is focused on finding the site-specific drug delivery systems (DDS) with enhanced antibacterial properties. Electrospinning (ES) is a straightforward method for the production of polymeric fibers with specific features: controlled surface morphology, large specific surface area, tunable porosity and relatively simple incorporation of drugs giving them potential to be used as DDS. ES scaffolds have potential in wound healing due to having structure similar to the extracellular matrix, which offers superior absorption of the wound exudate as well as enhanced gas exchange properties. Furthermore, the scaffolds have suitable mechanical properties which can be designed to ease application and offer suitable surface for cell growth in charge of native wound healing. When developing antibacterial scaffold for wound infection treatment the bacterial/scaffold interactions have to be addressed. Ideally the scaffold should inhibit the bacterial growth at the wound site and protect the wound from further contamination. In the present thesis ES was used to prepare antibacterial fiber scaffolds for wound healing applications. It was seen that the combination of suitable solvent systems, and environmental parameters were vital in order to produce antibacterial drug containing polymer based fibers with surface porosity. The solvent systems had an effect on the morphology, structure, mechanical and drug release properties of the scaffolds. The structural differences also affected the behaviour of cells (bacterial and eukaryotic) on scaffolds . Fibers with surface porosity supported fibroblast attachment and growth as well as provided the best antibiofilm activity against E. coli. Another part of the thesis was to develop zein based antibacterial fiber scaffolds. Coaxial ES method together with plasticisers were used in order to develop zein-based core-shell structured scaffolds. The scaffolds were also characterised and differences were seen compared to the polycaprolactone-based scaffolds.https://www.ester.ee/record=b552587

Development of boron calibration via hybrid comparator method in prompt gamma activation analysis

The prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) facility at the Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin was utilized to quantify boron concentrations in boron carbide semiconductor films deposited on silicon substrates. Calibration was complicated by the unique and varying sample geometries analyzed. In addition, there was a dearth of solid materials available with quantified boron concentrations having comparable or readily modifiable dimensions to exploit for calibration purposes. Therefore, a novel hybrid comparator method was developed for the quantification of boron utilizing aluminum as an inexpensive and easily machinable reference material. Aluminum samples were manufactured with high tolerances to match the geometry of each sample of interest. Each boron carbide film sample and its congruent aluminum sample were measured in the PGAA system. The measured aluminum responses and relevant nuclear parameters were used to standardize the measurements. A boron standard was created using a procedure derived from a similar approach used by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Quality control measurements using this standard show that the method provided accuracy to within 5% for boron quantification

Ecological Risks from Agricultural Land Treated with Biosolids

Author Institution (Arvai and Basta): School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University; Author Institution (Lanno): Department of Entomology, The Ohio State Universit

Rubriik „Soome 100“ Postimehes aastal 2017

http://www.ester.ee/record=b5143978*es

ClassDojo mõju erituge saavate käitumisraskustega õpilaste käitumisele

https://www.ester.ee/record=b5300396*es

Regards sur les territoires des ancrages haïtiano-montréalais : les impacts des pratiques transnationales au quotidien

À Montréal, les Haïtiens forment le troisième groupe ethnique en importance et offrent un exemple de peuple en diaspora. Étudier leurs mobilités et pratiques transnationales, ainsi que leurs incidences sur la redéfinition des concepts d’identité et de territoire, permet alors de comprendre les articulations entre le local et le transnational, dans le contexte de globalisation et de rétrécissement du monde permis par les nouvelles technologies. L’objectif de la recherche est de comprendre l’impact des pratiques transnationales et des médias dans la construction territoriale et l’ancrage des Haïtiens montréalais. Pour ce faire, 18 entrevues de type récit de vie ont été menées auprès d’un échantillon représentant les différentes vagues d’immigration haïtienne et des tables rondes ont été organisées. L’analyse des discours a permis de mettre en lumière les trajectoires, les lieux et types d’ancrages ainsi que le rôle des nouvelles technologies dans les liens translocaux de cette communauté. Les résultats, non généralisables, mettent de l’avant le rôle important des médias dans l’ancrage. Par exemple, l’ancrage des migrants de la première vague a été facilité par la création de radios haïtiennes, ces dernières ayant aidé à cimenter la communauté d’alors. Pour les deuxièmes générations, les nouveaux médias permettent de s’identifier à la diaspora et de s’ancrer en Haïti, avec des projets de développement, comme à Montréal, à travers l’expérience du cosmopolitisme. Finalement, l’analyse des récits de vie des nouveaux arrivants le confirme : les médias donnent la possibilité d’un ancrage inédit gardé à disposition avec les nouvelles technologies d’information et de communication.Montreal’s Haitian community is the third ethnic group in terms of importance and offers an interesting example of diaspora. Studying their mobility practices and how these practices impact concepts such as identity and place allows us to understand their articulations on a local and transnational scale, in a context of globalisation and contraction of the world due to new technologies. Specifically, this study aims to understand how transnational practices and media impact territorial constructions and ancrage of Haitians in Montreal. For this purpose, 18 interviews and two round-table discussions were organized. A careful analysis of these illustrates the trajectories, places and types of ancrage and the role of new technologies in the translocal connections of this community. The results, which cannot be generalized, highlight the crucial role of media in the ancrage process. For example, the first wave’s migrant’s ancrage was facilitated by the creation of local Haitian radios, which have helped build the community. For the second generation’s interviewee, the new media allows the identification to the diaspora and the ancrage, in Haiti with development projects, as in Montreal, with the cosmopolitism experience. Finally, as the interview analysis of the newcomers shows: media gives the possibility of a novel ancrage type, kept at disposal by the new technologies

Effects of 17β-Estradiol Exposure on Gamete Development and Viability in Freshwater Unionids

Evidence of a functional role for vertebrate steroids has been demonstrated in a number of invertebrate species, including molluscs. This knowledge has generated interest into the possibility of invertebrate endocrine disruption due to exposure to both exogenous steroid hormones and xenobiotics which can mimic the action of these compounds. Exposure to the natural vertebrate estrogen, 17β-estradiol (E2), for example, has been shown to induce accelerated gamete development in multiple mollusc species. Little information exists, however, for freshwater mussels, a group of exceptional conservation interest. Here, Daniel Sovic, Raoman Lanno, Dr. Kody Kuehnl, and G. Thomas Watters report the findings of two field studies on gametogenesis (Elliptio complanata, Pleurobema clava) as they relate to seasonal estrogenicity of extracts from Polar Organic Compound Integrative Samplers (POCIS) as determined using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay. In order to investigate effects of E2 exposure on gamete maturation and viability in freshwater mussels, Elliptio insulsa were dosed at one of three exposure levels. Effects on ova and sperm development were determined on biopsies collected 10 days and 6 months post-exposure and biopsy-generated data were compared with histological sections of vicera collected immediately following final biopsy collection. Comparisons of data collected via biopsy and traditional histological techniques provided data to evaluate the potential for utilizing non-lethal biopsy sampling to assess Unionid gametogenesis.https://fuse.franklin.edu/forum-2013/1022/thumbnail.jp

Open windrow composting of fish waste in Estonia

By-catch fish is caught unintentionally during the fishing and is currently thrown back in water bodies to cause the water pollution. Currently fishermen does not have a motivation to bring the by-catch fish to the shore, as it needs to be sorted by fish species, causing fishermen extra work without additional income. Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs decided to give funding to present study with purpose to find solution to this matter. One possible solution for by-catch fish utilization is to produce high value nutrient rich fertilizer in order to close nutrient cycle and return valuable nutrients into soil. The adaptive study of outdoor windrow composting was conducted with consecutive treatments, rather than simultaneously, in order to make adaptive improvements to the set-up of each consecutive treatment. The consecutive treatments showed that fish waste composting is manageable from a technical perspective, feasible in a temperate climate, and that this type of compost holds high potential as an organic fertiliser or soil improver. Composting process started rapidly and, as required by the EU Commission regulation EU 142/2011, temperatures exceeded 70 °C for at least 1 h in all windrows. While initial treatments suffered from odours, as well as events inhibitive to the composting process, these disadvantages were successfully avoided in later treatments by adding a biofilter and inoculant from previous composting windrows, as well as lake sediments. Rather than disposing of low-value fish, these can be recycled into stable and nutrient-rich compost on-site, near fishing harbours